Clinching device



May 31, 1960 H. MEDOFF 2,938,214

CLINCHING DEVICE Filed May 31, 1957 FIG.2

83 9 I36 BY 98 ATTORNEY INVENTOR. HARRY MEDOFF United States Patent" CLINCHING'DEVICE Harry Merlot 8515 Cadwalader, Elkins Park, Pa.

Filed May 31, 1957, Ser. No. 662,816

3 Claims. c1. 1-210 My invention relates to a baggage frame and more particularly relates to a method for simultaneously clinching thereon about its periphery component accessories, including locks, hasps and handles.

The usual procedure in incorporating handles, locks and hasps and corner braces upon a baggage frame is to individually punch the frame with pairs of slots which register with complementary pairs of tongues on each of the component accessories. Each of the component accessories was then fitted upon its corresponding position on the frame by passing the tongues through the registering slots and individually hand peening the tongues over on the reverse side of the frame. This necessitated a time consuming operation since each component was individually fitted and clinched into position by hand.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a method for clinching all accessory components simultaneously about the periphery of a baggage frame.

Another object of my invention is to construct a clinching jig which will simultaneously upset the tongues of a plurality of accessory components about the periphery of a U-shaped baggage frame.

Another object of my invention is to provide a method for fabricating a baggage frame rapidly and without the need for expensive automatic production machinery.

Other objects of my invention are to provide an improved device of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly efficient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, my invention consists in the details of construction and. combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a clinching jig embodying my invention, preparatory to peening over the tongues of the component accessories.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view and partly in section of the clinching tool peening over the tongues of the accessones.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, I show a baggage frame, generally designated as A, and a clinching tool, generally designated as C.

Attention is invited to the fact that no automatic production machinery is required to practice my invention, and the only necessary equipment is hand operated arbor press, generally designated as D, and the tools set forth above.

The baggage frame A comprises a steel or aluminum angle strip 12 having a covering 14 of leather or fabric cemented thereto and bent into a U-shaped configuration wherein a pair of parallel arms 16 extend from a bight portion 18. The bending into the U-shape may be performed in a metal forming operation prior to the usual punching operation so that the necessary slots are pierced 2 in the frame A preparatory to insertion of the ears of the component accessories therein and clinched to the frame in a manner as will now be described.

The clinching tool C comprises a plurality of clinching dies80, 82 and 84 which are symmetrically disposed upon horizontal member 20 aflixed to vertically movable leg 22 of the arbor press D. Each clinching die is keyed to the horizontal member. 20 by suitable dowels in a position corresponding to the slots pierced in the baggage frame.

The central clinching die 82 comprises a pair of spaced plates 83 and 85 between which are freely pivotally mounted pairs of clinching pawls 86, 87 and 88, 89. Spacer bar 81 not only serves to maintain the plates 83 and 85 in fixed spaced orientation, but also serves to limit the pivotal movement of the pawls when a reaction force is exerted thereon so as to cause rotation thereof into abutting engagement with surface 81A as will now be described. Each of the pawls are generally rectangular in shape and have a shallow notch 90 cut in one of the long sides adjacent the free hanging end. The pawl pairs are eccentrically pivoted at the corners diagonal to the notches so that the notches of the pawl pair preferentially swing inwardly toward each other when a perpendicular reaction force is exerted thereto. The outboard dies 80 and 84 each have similar pawl pairs 92 and 94, the pawls of each pair also being pivotally and eccentrically mounted so that the respective notches, which normally face outwardly, swing inwardly toward each other when a perpendicular force reacts upon the pawl notches until the lower surface of the respective spacer bar is in abutment with the upper surface of said pawls.

The lower fixed jig bar 24 of the arbor press D has a horizontally extending jig plate 94 which is relieved at 96, 98 and 100 to accommodate lock 130, handle posts 133 and 134, and latches 141 in inverted position with their respective ears extending vertically upward. The baggage frame A is then set with its arms 16 projecting upward so that the ears 136, 137, 138, 139 and 140 of the various component accessories protrude through the respective complementary slots. When the movable leg 22 of the arbor press is forced downwardly, the notches of each of the respective pawl pairs engage the corresponding ears whereupon the pawl pairs swing toward each other causing respective ears of each pair thereof to initially bend toward'each other. When the pawls have pivotally rotated into abutment with the lower surface of the spacer bar, the reaction force will cause the protruding ears of each component to be fully upset and thereby securely crimp the individual accessories in the baggage frame A.

Although my invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A clinching tool for simultaneously crimping component accessories upon a baggage frame comprising a pair of plates horizontally spaced in adjacent parallel vertical planes, means to vertically reciprocate said plates unitarily, a plurality of substantially rectangular pawls horizontally spaced intermediate said plates, each of said pawls being pivotally supported at one of four corners thereof to said plates and having a notch on the diagonally opposite corner normally extending below the bottom of said plates whereby upwardly directed reaction forces applied against the respective notches Will cause rotation of the corresponding pawl, and means to limit the rotation of said pawls to a position where the respective longi- 4 tud'inal axes thereof are substantially horizontal whereby References Cited in the file of this patent bendable ears on the component accessories extending upwardly through complementary slots in the baggage UNITED STATES PATENTS frame and registering with the corresponding pawl notches 200,774 Somers Feb. 26, 1878 will be upset when the tool is forcibly urged downwardly 5 410,832 Hart Sept. 10, 1889 against the ears. t 1,094,588 OBrien Apr. 28, 1914 2. The clinching tool of claim 1 wherein the means 1,303,867 Eaton May 20, 1919 limiting the rotation of said pawls comprises a horizontally 1,675,779 Allen July 3, 1928 extending spacer bar afiixed intermediate said plates adja- 1,896,666 Evans Feb. 7, 1933 cent the upper portion thereof and abutting the pawls 10 1,907,849 Maynard May 9, 1933 during rotation. 1,955,790 Cheney Apr. 24, 1934 3. The clinching tool of claim 1 wherein said means 2,120,693 Cheney June 14', 1938 vertically reciprocating said plates comprises a hand- 2,267,185 Bauwens Dec. 23, 1941 operated arbor press having the vertically movable leg 2,334,138 Wales Nov. 9, 1943 thereof afllxed to said plates. I I 15 2,582,094 Balsam J an. 8, 1952 

